Apparatus for opening the gate of a mine skip



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TORNEY.

Dec. 16, 1969 v D. c. LEONARD Em.

APPARATUS FOR OPENING THE GATE OF A MINE SKIP Filed April 17, 1967 SZllZ Dec. 16, 1969 o. c. LEONARD ETAL 3,484,008

APPARATUS FOR OPENING THE GATE OF A MINE SKIP Filed April 17. 19e? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.2

lNVENTORS. DANIEL C. LEONARD JAMES A. FELL ATTCRN EY.

United States Patent C) 3,484,008 APPARATUS FOR OPENING THE GATE F A MINE SKIP Daniel C. Leonard and James A. Fell, Orillia, Ontario, Canada, assignors to Dorr-Oliver Incorporated, Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 17, 1967, Ser. No. 631,376 Int. Cl. B66f 9/06 US. Cl. 214-740 4 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a vertically suspended mine skip having a guillotine-type discharge gate and to a head frame arrangement for automatically engaging, raising, and lowering the discharge gate. The head frame mechanism has means thereon to automatically position itself relative to the mine skip and to the discharge gate.

The automatic discharge of vertically suspended mine skip by, or in conjunction with, a shaft head frame is well known in the art. However, may of these discharge systems comprise complex arrangements of levers, cams, dump scrolls and rollers, etc. on the mine skip and in the shaft which subject the entire dumping operation to severe disadvantages. Not only are they prone to misalignment and damage but they often require the application of forces far in excess of that actually necessary to open the discharge gate. More important the available carrying space of the mine skip, which is already limited by the cross-sectional area of the mine shaft, is further reduced by the shaft space required for the dumping mechanism.

Another problem in the utilization of these systems is the critical relationship between the gate of the mine skip and the gate operating mechanism of the head frame. The mine skip must be stopped in the same position during each operating cycle so that the gate will be directly adjacent to its operating mechanism on the head frame. The high degree of precision and consistency required for this stage of the operating cycle not only greatly ncreases the cost of the system but also increases the time required for raising and dumping each mine skip. The skip must be braked further down in the shaft and brought to a near halt before it enters the head frame so that the inertia of the hoisting drum will not interfere with the exact positioning of the skip in the head frame. When measured on a daily or Weekly basis the increased time required for each operating cycle, the increased original and maintenance cost, plus the reduced capacity of each mine skip has a direct bearing on the etliciency and cost of the dumping operation.

The present invention addresses itself to these problems by rst, providing a floating, self-powered mine skip dumping arrangement on the head frame which automatically positions itself relative to the mine skip rather than the mine skip relative to the head frame. In this manner the high degree of precision required in the braking of the mine skip is eliminated and the operating times for the positioning and discharge stages of the dumping cycle are reduced. Secondly, the present invention utilizes a skip dumping arrangement wherein the mine skip itself does not carry any of the discharge gate operating mechanism. Thus the carrying capacity of each mine skip is increased to a maximum and the original and maintenance costs are correspondingly reduced.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a vertically suspended mine skip which is free of discharge gate actuating devices.

It is another object of the present invention to provide rice a mine skip dumping arrangement which positions itself relative to the mine skip.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide means on the mine skip dumping apparatus to transfer the contents of the mine skip to the discharge hopper.

It is yet another object of the present invention to move the mine skip dumping apparatus into and out of engagement with the mine skip as the mine skip is raised to the discharge position.

The subject matter which applicants regard as their invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. The invention, however, as to its organization and method of operation together with further objects and advantages thereof will best be understood by refeernce to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational View of a vertically suspended mine skip in position in the dum-ping apparatus of the present invention immediately prior to the gate operating mechanism being moved into position to engage the discharge gate of the mine skip;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the dumping apparatus of the present invention with parts broken away for clarity of showing;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the dumping apparatus of the present invention in the engaged position with parts broken away for clarity of showing;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a front elevational view of a vertically suspended mine skip in position in the dum-ping apparatus of the present invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 a vertically suspended ore carrying mine skip 19 having a body portion 12 and a guillotine-type discharge gate 14 is shown in position in the dumping apparatus of the present invention. The discharge gate 14 is maintained in the closed position by gravity and has two series of longitudinally aligned thrust rollers 16 which ride along tracks 18 to open and close the gate.

rIhe dumping apparatus indicated generally by arrow lil, comprises a main frame 22, an inner frame 24, and a gate opening carriage 26. The main frame 22 is an elongated rectangular section having four guide wheels Z8, one at each corner of the frame. The guide Wheels support the dumping apparatus for longitudinal reciprocation in tracks (FIGURE 2) of head frame 32 in a manner to be presently described.

Inner frame 24 is pivotally connected at its upper end to cross bar 34 of main frame 22 by pivot pins 35 and is connected at its lower end to piston 36 (FIGURE 3) of air cylinder 38. When cylinder 38 is actuated, in a manner to be hereinafter disclosed, piston 36 retracts and transversely pivots inner frame 24 about its connections to cross bar 34. The lower end of inner frame 24 forms a discharge chute 40 to transfer the ore from skip 10 to head frame bin 42.

Gate opening carriage 26 consists of two transversely spaced lug plates 44 which are supported for longitudinal movement on the axles 46 of rollers 48. A set of tracks 50 are formed along the inner surfaces of frame 24 and the carriage is reciprocated in the tracks by a set of long air cylinders 52 pivotally attached at one end to cross bar 34 and at the other end to lug plate 44. Each of the lug plates has a notch 54 which engages a set of corresponding lug bars 56 on discharge gate 14 when the dumping apparatus is moved into position.

In operation the mine skip is loaded with ore at the bottom of the shaft and raised by a series of hoist ropes (not shown) and a hoist drum (not shown) until it approaches the head frame at the mouth of the shaft. The speed of ascent is then reduced until lip 58 on the skip engages pedestal or lift-stop 6) on main frame 22. The hoist rotation is braked and the skip coasts to a stop; the skip continues its ascent into the head frame a distance corresponding to the braking distance of the drum. However, since the mine skip now supports the main frame, the main frame will rise along with the skip guided by wheels 28 in head frame tracks 30. Thus the dumping apparatus adjusts its position relative to the mine skip rather than the mine skip relative to the dumping apparatus.

The distance between pedestal 60 and notches 54 on the dumping apparatus corresponds to the distance between lip 58 and lug bars 56 on a mine skip 10. In this manner the gate operating mechanism of the dumping apparatus is positioned directly opposite the lug bars on the gate without the necessity for accurate or even consistent braking of the mine skip.

When the hoist drum indicates that the skip has come to a full stop, the air cylinders 38 at the lower end of main frame 22 are automatically activated to retract piston 36. As the piston retracts it pivots inner frame 24 about its connection to cross bar 34 and into its normal operating position (FIGURE 3). With inner frame 24 in position notches 54 on lug plates 44 engage the lug bars 56 on discharge gate 14. Long air cylinders 52 are activated and the discharge gate opened by carriage 26 moving in tracks 50 and thrust rollers 16 moving along tracks 18. The ore is then discharged from the skip into transfer chute 40 and from there into head frame bin 42.

An automatic timer can be used at this point to keep the long air cylinders 52 energized until the skip has had an opportunity to completely discharge. The dumping cycle is then reversed. The pistons on long air cylinders 52 are extended, carriage 26 moved down inner frame 24, and discharge gate 14 closed. An automatic signal activates air cylinder 36 and the inner frame is swung out of engagement with the mine skip (FIGURE l). The mine skip is then lowered to complete the cycle. As the skip descends it carries main frame 22 and the dumping apparatus along with it for a short distance until the dumping mechanism engages fixed support beam or bottom stop 62 on head frame bin 42 and comes to rest.

It should be noted that none of the dumping apparatus is carried by the mine skip and thus the skip of the present invention utilizes its entire cross-sectional area to -carry ore.

What is claimed is:

1. In mining equipment wherein a skip operates in a mine shaft, the skip having a discharge gate, the improved skip discharging apparatus comprising:

(a) a discharge frame located at the head of the shaft;

(-b) means mounting the discharge frame for movement parallel to the direction of travel of the skip in the shaft;

(c) lift-stop means mounted on the discharge frame and adapted to be engaged by the mine skip so as to lift the discharge frame with the skip as the latter slows and stops at the head of the shaft;

(d) skip gate actuating means carried by the discharge frame;

(e) means mounting the gate actuating means upon the Hdischarge frame for selective movement into and out of a position wherein the gate actuating means engages a closed gate when a skip is engaged with the lift-stop means of the discharge frame;

(f) and means for selectively operating the gate actuating means, when in said gate-engaging position, so as to open and close the gate of the skip.

2. Apparatus as deiined in claim 1, said means mounting the gate actuating means being adapted to confine movement of the latter into and out of said gate-engaging position in a direction substantially transverse to said direction of travel of the discharge frame, and said means for selectively operating the gate actuating means being adapted to move the latter in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the discharge frame, whereby the skip discharging apparatus is adapted for discharging guillotine-gatetype skips.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means mounting the gate actuating means upon the discharge frame includes means forming a bridge chute adapted to be moved into a bridging position relative to a skip whenever the gate actuating means is moved into said gate-engaging position.

4. A mine skip discharge system comprising:

(a) at least one discharge-gate-type mine skip mounted for longitudinal movement in a mine shaft;

(b) a headframe located at the head of the mine shaft;

(c) a discharge frame mounted in the headframe for movement parallel to the direction of travel of the Skip;

(d) bottom stop means mounted in said headframe to limit the downward movement of the discharge frame;

(e) lift-stop means positioned on the discharge frame to engage a portion of the skip sol as to lift the discharge frame ot the bottom-stop means as the skip slows and stops at the headframe;

(f) skip gate actuating means mounted on the discharge frame to open and close the skip discharge gate in a skip discharging cycle;

(g) and means to effect engagement of the gate actuating means with the skip gate when the skip is at the headframe.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 731,941 6/1955 Great Britain. 825,839 12/1959 Great Britain.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner RAYMGND B. JOHNSON, Assistant Examiner 

